Put that Girl to Shame
by Writerwithagoal
Summary: What happens on Mardi Gras 120 years in the future when it's been almost as long since Klaus has seen Caroline in person, now she's in his studio..Whats a hybrid to do.


_I'd hang you by the Mona Lisa  
And put that girl to shame _

Painting was a joy, it brought him a sense of tranquility and allowed him moments of undisturbed calm. Sighing as he finally finished a painting he'd long set aside decades ago. Blonde curls and blue eyes stared back at him. Teeth peeking through in a gentle smile that brought an almost angelic quality to the painting. The owner of the smile still haunted her dreams, she was an angel for the dark spots of his soul and a bench mark for every woman since. She'd popped up on his radar over the years here and there as she flitted around first the states and then traveled over to Europe.

When she'd first taken off for Europe, he'd mourned the loss of not getting to see her face light up as she saw the world for the first time. Until he'd received a notification on his Instagram from her. She wanted to be his friend, online, but it was an olive branch that he greedily took hold of. That had been almost a century ago. He'd followed her travel pictures enjoying her commentary and captions on her pictures. Some selfies, her and the doppelganger in some, cityscapes in others, pictures of food, and museums in others.

They hadn't met in person since that day in the woods when Katherine Pierce had died. Klaus had imprinted every feature and mannerism to memory and gone home to draw it quickly. Caroline was a unique piece life, the hope and kindness that most vampires lost, had taken hold and grew within her. It was as though she had blossomed instead of stagnating as so many vampires did.

He'd heard from Rebekah over the years that the blonde who held a part of him with her, was well and happy. He'd assumed that the happiness was due to another person who she was living with or a hobby she'd taken on. Sadly, aside from the occasional text, or call over the years Caroline didn't contact him directly.

Looking at the painting in front of him he ran a hand along the side hoping that he'd have the ability to feel her soul through it. He'd drawn her surrounded by flowers and joy. He loved her smile and when the mood struck him he'd draw just her smile, it covered millions of sketchbooks. From full laughs, shy grins, repressed smiles, the one she got when she saw something beautiful or that reminded her life was worth living. That was how he wanted to remember her, the monster underneath that loving exterior was attractive and made him hunger for her, but it was all just part of the package that was Caroline Forbes.

Sighing he draped a cloth over the painting protecting it from the air and the elements, turning off the lights and closing the door. He put space between him and the painting as he moved through the night into the city below. New Orleans had become a collection of islands and raised homes connected by bridges and tunnels.

The city lights where bright and multi colored in a way that allowed people and shadows to swirl all together. Mardi Gras was by far his favorite time of year living in New Orleans. Leaning against the support beam outside of one of the many bars that lined the streets sipping his whiskey, blonde hair caught his attention as he scanned the crowd. As he turned back to try and find the hair again, it was clear that he'd missed the chance. Something caught his senses though as he went to go back to enjoying the festivities and music. A scent he'd long locked away. He knew it was just déjà vu and not enough blood feeding into his hopeful dark fantasy.

Chuckling at his hopefulness he threw back the rest of the drink before walking off the curb into the throngs of people and searching for the hair that he could have sworn belonged to a familiar angel. Wondering through the crowd his senses alert and focused. He heard a scream somewhere down an alley to his left, and brushed it off since that was what the city payed their rather inadequate police force for. Moving through the crowd, slipping past drunks and overstepping vomit. He turned around the corner and then spun around a circle. He could have sworn the scent led him this way, he'd seen the blonde hair slip around the corner. Snarling in frustration he stalked down an alley looking for something fun when he wondered upon a sight he hadn't expected, but wasn't surprised.

A couple was going at it against the wall in the alley, the girl's hair looked wet and red, it was the scent that really caught his attention. The sharp copper scent that filled the air more than the groaning and weird gasping moan the young woman was making. Snarling he pulled the man off her. The nightwalker looked surprised by Klaus' intervention and even more surprised as he felt his heart leave his chest. Shrugging he looked at the girl who was shrinking against the wall and moved on, the body of the nightwalker desiccating at her feet and no heart. Moving through the alley he dropped the heart into a dumpster and walked further away from the drunk festivities that no longer held any appeal.

Wondering the streets his mind on a different festival that had held much more appeal 40 years before. Looking at his wrist watch he shrugged and looked around. The city streets of New Orleans were very different from the slow quiet streets in Mystic Falls. Walking down St Charles Avenue this late at night was more a mess of parade left overs, and the timeless music fading into the late night air. He was making his way back to his house to finish a bottle of bourbon and maybe find a distraction on his way home. Walking gave him time to get over his disappointment.

The turn on the century was coming up within the next decade or two. He was tempted to leave New Orleans again and explore as he had done 30 years ago when he'd went off with Rebekah and Elijah to reacquaint themselves with Europe and London in particular. Looking for any truly attractive woman alone this late was semi foolish, as all that were truly left where people in groups staggering home and the homeless creeping back out to look for cans and bottles that may have been left behind.

Home was a rather empty place, Elijah had chosen to stay in London and Rebekah had left him at the airport in New York saying she wanted to explore the world alone for the first time in 1100 years. He'd come home to rule his southern kingdom and had done so with an iron fist since. As he got closer, the smell came back, that light clean floral scent, he'd only ever smelled on one person. She'd promised him her confession and then he'd left, that had been 80 years before; the last time he'd smelled that unique floral scent. Now to have that scent here in his home. It was too good to be true and he didn't like hope or possible things, he was a creature who reacted badly to 'what ifs' more often than not killing the what if.

She wasn't in the courtyard, or in the kitchen, though the microwave door was open. Closing it he moved forward through the house. His senses heightened as he stalked the first floor of his residence. Footsteps on the second floor alerted him and he flashed over the balcony and looked around. Movement going around the corner caught his attention and he walked after that movement at a leisurely pace. It took him a bit longer than it should to realize that she'd entered his studio. A new scent filled his nostrils as he got closer, blood. Lots of it by the scent that hit his nostrils.

Rounding the corner into his studio he was a bit taken back. Three desiccated vampires lay around her as she sipped from a whiskey tumbler. The contents of the tumbler explained the smell. Her back was to the door, still unafraid of him it showed. That lack of fear, or confidence that she exuded made him proud.

"I told them that you and I were friends," her voice soft and light, "and they wouldn't let me in, I wanted to surprise you."

"I'm glad you handled that problem. I would have killed them if they'd managed to turn you away."

That soft almost sardonic chuckle that came naturally to her filled the moment of silence that followed. That sound brought back memories of walking along a green field with champagne bottle in hand, making jokes back and forth. Klaus took the moment to examine what she was wearing. A pale blue sun dress hung around her. As he moved closer he caught a glimpse of her shoes, gold sandals encasing her feet. Standing next to her he moved one of the corpses out of his way.

"I'm glad you're here, I was actually thinking about you today."

"The painting, I saw it," she gestured to the now uncovered painting on the other side of the room. A red splatter of what he assumed was blood was sprayed across the canvas turning the happiness into more of a sadistic smile. Growling he stalked towards his painting, and looked around his studio, everything else was still covered.

"What happened?" he growled as he turned to his guest looking for an explanation. Her face flushed pink as she turned to look at him setting the blood filled tumbler on the table she was leaning on.

"I smelled the wet paint, and wanted to know what you'd painted so I uncovered it," she paused flushing again though Klaus wasn't sure why, "I was admiring your portrayal of me and that one caught me unaware." She pointed to the one at his feet.

Nodding he kicked the corpse in a childish bout of anger. "Are you hurt?" He knew that she'd been trained by a vampire hunter and then traveled the world and not always to the friendliest places. Three vampires trained in street fighting only weren't going to be a true challenge. But, they could still land a blow especially if they caught her by surprise. The shake of her head brought him back to the moment.

"The blood healed it."

So she had been hurt, but by the look of things she had won the fight. Covering the now ruined painting he walked back towards her. Glancing down at the blonde, he raised an eyebrow.

"What are you doing here Caroline?"

"Would you believe me if I told you that I was bored of traveling alone?" she asked picking up her tumbler and closing the space between them.

"I thought you were traveling the world with Elena and Bonnie."

"Elena and Bonnie both passed away about ten and fifteen years ago, Elena and Damon took the cure about fifty years ago" she paused looking sad though her smile hadn't faded the light just not reaching her eyes, "I decided to go back to our favorite places and do a victory lap." She swallowed and pulled away to drink some blood.

Klaus raised an eyebrow, as far as he knew the girls had never stopped in New Orleans, he knew that because he'd told his employees to keep an eye out for them. Moving to the table he leaned against it and looked at Caroline.

"You never came here though," voice uncertain and wary, "why come here on a victory lap?"

"Because I went back to Rome, Paris and London, and it just wasn't the same," she spoke softly and looked at the blood in her glass, "Bonnie visited here about thirty years ago and said it was her favorite place in the country." She shrugged throwing back the remaining blood.

"I figured I could finally quit running and visit my best friends most favorite place in the country all at the same time." She smiled at Klaus and relaxed.

Klaus smiled and took the now empty tumbler from her hands. Taking her right hand, he brought it to his lips and smiled at her. Her comment about not running any more brought a smile to his lips. He hadn't thought to ever assume that he had such an effect on her, as she had on him.

"I would be honored to show my city to you."

Her eyes lighting back up brought out a deep chuckle. "Really?"

"Yes, I've been waiting a century and twenty years to show my city to you."

Caroline leaned forward and took his hand in hers.

"I was thinking after New Orleans you would wanna come see Paris on Valentine's Day with me?"

Klaus gripped her hand and chuckled. "I would love to, can't think of a better way to spend that holiday than with you."


End file.
